As we all patiently await the arrival of spring, what better way to warm your heart and inspire your minds than yet another look back at the best B2B creative campaigns from history.

Up this week we have a retro video game, data-driven fashion, and an anti-Brexit stance from the world’s local bank. Enjoy

1. Mailchimp launches Post Haste video game

Mailchimp is an example of a B2B brand with bags of personality. To showcase that personality — and drive traffic to its postcard offering — the company launched its first on-site HTML5 video game.

Following a super retro format, Post Haste lets players control Freddie (Mailchimp’s mascot) as he attempts to deliver his postcards. In the process, Freddie must dodge fun obstacles while ensuring that every piece of Mailchimp mail gets delivered on time.

While plenty of brands have experimented with the video game format — ourselves included — Post Haste is a great example of a branded game that’s not been over-engineered by the marketing department. As a result, it ends up being memorable and on brand, but also genuinely fun to play. A great example of engaging formats being adopted in B2B.

Play Post Haste on the Mailchimp website

2. Siemens’ FABRIC brings smart cities to life

With this smart and wonderfully unique campaign, Siemens wanted to tie itself to the African continent while also promoting how its big data and smart city solutions could help evolve Africa’s rapidly expanding urban spaces.

The campaign used the medium of fabric to tell stories about several major African cities, sparking a conversation about the need to make these cities more connected, efficient, and digitally-enabled.

Siemens took real data from African cities and then mapped the resulting visualisations onto physical fabrics. Giving those fabrics to Africa’s leading fashion designers, Siemens set about creating a data-driven fashion show, which achieved the company’s business goals while also creating awesome shareable content for social media.

3. HSBC reminds Britain, “We are not an island”

Taking a strong political stance can be a bold move for B2B brands. But when you’re one of the UK’s largest financial service providers operating in a post-Brexit Britain, it’s sometimes hard to avoid. 

So, if you’ve got to talk about political issues, why not own it and take a real public stand?

Launching the ‘We are not an island’ campaign, HSBC put its strong sense of global community at the heart of its business banking brand. Released with a TV commercial starring comedian Richard Ayoade, the campaign celebrates elements of British life that are indebted to the country’s connections with the wider world.

As well as the TV commercial, the bank also released a host of copy-led print ads, championing specific cities across the UK and highlighting their international ties.

The ads were bold, brave, and highly shareable, encouraging positive reviews and stirring up discussion on social media.

While controversial, the campaign unashamedly cements HSBC’s brand image as a truly international business bank that welcomes corporations from across Europe and around the world.

4. Bonus — B2Bold The Game!

While celebrating video games, why not try out our very own retro game celebrating B2B creativity? To win, simply click your mouse (or tap your screen) to help our B2B hero dodge boring content and collect creative light-bulb moments.

Click here to play full screen

Find out more about B2Bold The Game! here.